Is there a book that you have received as a present that you absolutely loved

[heartsinvisiblefury]

We're buying books for adults this Christmas and I'm stumped as to what to get a few people - is there a book that you received or were recommended that you absolutely loved?

As a child:

Kipling’s The Jungle Book and his Just So stories, which taught me that language could be beautiful.

Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox, which was full of joy and energy.

C S Lewis: Narnia books (still love them to this day)

As an adult:

Patrick Leigh Fermor: A Time of Gifts. I never read travel books, and so would never have bought this myself. God I love that book.

Virginia Woolf: Orlando (triggered a lifelong obsession with her)

P G Wodehouse: Jeeves Omnibus (can’t imagine life without my beloved Wodehouse)

I was given The language of flowers as a gift years ago. It was such a perfect gift from a friend I did not know that well but I grow cut flowers and it was very personal and touching

This -

Miracle In The Andes: The True Story of Surviving 72 Days on the Mountain Against All Odds https://amzn.eu/d/8Cu8OK7

It may not be everyone’s “thing” but it absolutely changed my life. The idea being everyone has their own “mountain” to climb. It got me through some very dark times in my life. I absolutely adore it.

The Salt Path was absolutely loved by my mum. I liked Driving Over Lemons (And its sequel The Parrot in the Pepper Tree'). On a slightly difference level, my brother gave me Josh Widdicombe's Watching Neighbours Twice a Day a couple of year ago and I absolutely love that. But then JW and I are roughly the same age and had similar childhood experiences, so that probably helped.

Yes - Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Interested to see the love for the Salt Path. I couldn’t get into it at all! Maybe I should give it another go.

I couldn't get into it either, to be fair. But my mum loves it!

Patrick Leigh Fermor: A Time of Gifts. I never read travel books, and so would never have bought this myself. God I love that book

OT but have you read Fermor's Between the Woods and the Water? it comes after A Time of Gifts. It's an utter delight on every page, shot through with the melancholy knowledge that within a few years the way of life he describes would be gone forever.

The Secret life of Bees. Just wonderful 😊

Piranesi - absolutely wonderful book! loved by me, my professor and my 10 yr old daughter

A Gentleman in Moscow - the most perfect book

Possession by A.S. Byatt. It was a while ago that I read it, but it was glorious.

The House of Sleep - Jonathan Coe
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight
Bridget Jones Diary ( first edition)

All from my BFF who knows me v well!!

That book gave me the rage like nothing before. What a load of sanctimonious twaddle. I know memoirs can be partly fictional but her made up characters were like stick people “ hello. My name is Dan. I am a filthy capitalist. I walking the path quickly because I don’t appreciate nature. I am rude to bar staff and kick dogs for fun” .

Not a present to me but my DD received a book called ‘good night stories for rebel girls’ & I love reading this!